It All Started With Chloroform
by Rebekah Caren
Summary: Carlton's was knocked out by his girlfriend's brother, who was basically a vampire, kinda. And Karen's having some problems, too. Pretty much my weirdest summary. Set after s6e3, This Episode Sucks. Rated T, for total spoilers if you haven't watched the sixth season. I don't own Psych.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so I told myself, "No more stories until you finish the ones you've started". But I went on vacation, which meant a fourteen hour drive there and back, plus free time. So a lot of writing got done. Every time I turned around, BAM!, new idea. Mostly Karlton, some Lassiet. But, they are mostly crappy ones that probably won't make it. I know some of you are thinking "none of your stuff should make it", and you guys can suck it. Ramble, ramble, babblty babble. The end.**

* * *

"Carlton," I sighed, running my fingers over his cheek. He stirred, but didn't wake up. I pressed my lips to his forehead. The door swung open and I practically jumped.

"Chief, I didn't expect you to still be here," Juliet said, moving into the room, with none other than Marlowe Viccellio.

"I didn't want him to be alone," I said, half heartedly smiling. I stood up, and crossed to the door. Marlowe crossed to the vacated seat by Carlton's bed, sat down, and put her hand over his.

I wiped a small tear away.

"A word, O'Hara?" I motioned to the hall. Juliet nodded and followed me out, shutting the door behind us.

"She made bail quickly," I said, leaning against the wall. Juliet nodded.

"She was deemed not a flight risk, and her friends picked up the two grand bail. Her trial is next Thursday," Juliet said, tapping her foot. "What's wrong, Chief?"

Tears were making paths down my face.

"We could have lost him, O'Hara. We could lose anyone. I could lose any of you, at anytime. All depending on who wakes up and decides to cause trouble. I could have lost you to countless people. I could have lost him to countless people. Everyday I see everyone in the station and know that I could lose any of you," I said, wiping my face from tears. Juliet hugged me.

"Chief, we all signed up for this. We took the classes, applied for the job, and took an oath. We know what we're getting into. Especially Carlton. He is stubborn, that's not gonna change. I'm sure if he hadn't passed out from that chloroform-Jack Daniels combo he would insist on coming in tomorrow. I've had my close calls, he's had his, and I know damn well you have had yours," Juliet said. I stepped away, and looked in the small window. Marlowe was stroking Carlton's hand, talking to him though he was unconscious.

"I need to take her to her brother before visiting hours are over," Juliet said after a moment. I nodded, and she went in, then came out followed by Marlowe.

"Are you coming, Chief?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I'm going to stay until visiting is over, see if he wakes up. I'll see you in the morning, Juliet. And it was nice to sort of meet you, Marlowe," I said, shaking her hand.

"It was sort of nice to meet you, too. I think if this were other circumstances it would be nice," she said. I smiled. Most likely not.

I went into Carlton's room, and sat in my chair. I took his hand in mine. He groaned.

"Carlton?" I said. He blinked.

"Ugh. Where the hell am I?" He asked in a gravelly voice. I smiled.

"Well, first, why did you feel the need to make yourself immune to chloroform? Secondly, call me if you ever need to drink like that again. It's no fun to drink alone. And to answer your question, you're in the hospital. Jack and chloroform don't mix, Carlton," I said. His fingers curled around mine.

"Where's Adrian?" he asked. I stroked the back of his hand with my thumb.

"He's in the hospital. He's going to jail, for sure. They'll be able to take care of him," I said. Carlton relaxed.

"Marlowe didn't kill anyone. She only broke into the blood bank," he said. I looked into his foggy blue eyes.

"Yeah, I know. She made bail," I said. He tried to sit up.

"Where is she?" He asked. I put my hand on his chest and gently pushed him down.

"She's visiting her brother. She came to see you," I said. His hands clenched the sheets. "Calm down. You need to rest." I put my hands back over his, squeezing gently. He relaxed his hands. His eyes, however, continued glancing around the room before concentrating on mine.

"Are you okay, Chief?" he asked. I forced a laugh.

"I am fine. You are the one that's not okay," I said. He shook his head.

"You've been crying," he said.

"It's just my allergies. I went out to a scene in the middle of the forrest this morning," I said, half lying. I did go out to a scene, but allergies? No, I was, Iris loved to say, Claritin clear.

"I've never noticed your "allergies" before," he said.

"I think you're still a little foggy," I said, smiling. "You should try to get back to sleep, Carlton. They're going to discharge you in the morning, but you're taking Thursday and Friday off." He groaned. "Suck it up, Detective. You should know by now how things work when you're injured, no matter the degree." He smiled grimly.

"I've raised some hell over the last couple years," he said. I smiled back.

"Yeah. Funny, it wasn't really bad until Shawn Spencer came around," I said.

"You know, when I was a uniform, Henry tried to get me to arrest him," Carlton said.

"Really? I wish I would have been there," I said, noticing his light grip on my hands. I wasn't complaining.

"And why is that?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"Because I would have pushed your ass out of the way and booked him."

Carlton started laughing, and I had to join in.

"I'd better go, before a nurse busts in here and tells me I have to go. Or should I say a platoon of nurses. You apparently have quite a reputation here," I said. He shrugged.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Carlton," I said. He nodded. I went to the door.

"Thank you, Karen," he said. I turned to him.

"For what?"

"Caring."

"Goodnight, Carlton," I said, closing the door after his goodbye. I glanced in the window.

* * *

I drove to my ex husband's apartment, and listened to a one sided argument about how late I was picking Iris up and how I didn't need to call him to watch her unexpectedly.

I carried Iris to my car, buckling her up in the backseat. I turned to Richard, who was still complaining.

"Look, Richard, it is nine o'clock, I realize that. But today, I could have lost one of my detectives. If spending an extra four hours with your daughter is such a big problem, I will get a sitter next time. Now, I'll see you next weekend, God forbid a day sooner," I said.

"Next time," he scoffed. "Okay, Karen. And I love spending time with Iris, but I had other plans. But you never did think much for me."

* * *

I drove home, and tucked Iris into bed. She woke up enough to beg for a story.

"I love you, Momma," she said sleepily.

"I love you, too, Iris," I said, stroking her hair. "Did you have fun at school today?" She looked at me like I was crazy.

"No, I had school," she said. I chuckled. She went on to tell me about how Sam Foster pushed her down the slide and that they painted today.

"You need to sleep now, kiddo. No matter how much you don't like Sam, you've got to go to school," I said, then kissed her forehead.

"Goodnight," she said. I turned off her lights and went down the hall to my own bedroom, collapsing on the king sized burgundy nest. I managed to kick off my shoes and pull off my jacket before falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**People on Instagram are ruthless about their Psych pairings. It's like "Shules or nothing, bitches" over there. I'm quietly, "Karlton and Lassiet". But, I emerged alive, and with a new chapter nonetheless. I also think I'm gonna stick with this story for a while. Cheers!**

* * *

"Ready to go?" I asked Carlton. He gave me one of his special looks. He had changed into his normal clothes, and was obviously waiting on me.

"I was ready to leave last night," he said, standing up. I rolled my eyes.

"Well, I came right after I dropped Iris off at school. Come on, I already did the paperwork," I said, and ushered him out of the hospital room.

We made it past all the nurses with minimal fuss, and we were driving to his apartment in no time. He fidgeted in characteristically in the passenger seat.

"How's Iris?" he asked, breaking the silence. I sighed, keeping my eyes on the road.

"She's doing okay. Still a little confused on why daddy lives with someone else now. But she's happy." I said, putting on my brake. The Chief of Police getting a speeding ticket? That would be the day. "She started kindergarten this year."

"I bet she's fantastic in school," Carlton said. I allowed myself a smile.

"So far, yeah. She reads chapter books, adds and subtracts, ties her own shoes. Sometimes other peoples' shoes. From what her teacher tells me, she likes taking care of people," I said.

"Sound familiar? Cause to me she sounds like a mini you," he said, matter of factly. Smart ass.

"Why, yes, Carlton. Thank you for noticing I can read and do math," I said sarcastically.

"You know what I meant, Karen," he said. "Thank you for staying with me for so long last night. And for driving me home."

"I had to, Carlton . You're my-," I paused momentarily. I was going to say head detective, but that wasn't really who he was, or why I stayed. We had been through a lot. He was a friend. A good one. More and more edging on romantic interest. Whoa, Karen. You need to tone that the hell down. We'll think about that later. "Friend."

"I'm glad we are," he said. He was about to say something, but his phone rang. He clicked a button and put it to his ear. "Hey, sweetheart. No, Chief came and got me. Okay. Yeah, we'll meet for dinner. Alright. Bye."

"So, am I taking you home, or do you want to get some breakfast?" I offered.

"Don't we need to get to work?" he asked. I laughed.

"First, you are taking today off. Second, hospital food sucks, so I know you're hungry. Third, it's only eight. I've got time for breakfast with my friend," I said, pulling into a little diner parking lot.

"This was your plan the entire time," he said, unbuckling his seat belt.

"What can I say, Carlton," I said, unbuckling my own seatbelt. "I like spending time with you." I almost immediately felt embarrassed. Almost.

He smiled.

"I like spending time with you, too, Karen," he said, opening his door. "Now let's go get some pancakes."

* * *

We had six pancakes, three scrambled eggs, and a pitcher of orange juice between us. The waitress handed the check to Carlton. I snatched it from him.

"I'm paying for this, Carlton," I said, getting my wallet from my purse.

"Like hell you are," he said. "You had two pancakes and some orange juice. I'm paying, Karen." So I let him. He was just as hard headed as me, if not more. I would put the money I owed him in one of his desk drawers.

"Let's hit the road. I've got twenty minutes to get you home and then to the station," I said when the waitress handed Carlton back his check card. We walked out to my car, climbed in, and buckled up.

"Well, my apartment is about five minutes from here, and ten minutes to the station," he said. I nodded. I pulled out of the parking lot, towards his apartment. We were silent for most of the drive. I parked in front of his building.

"Take it easy today, Carlton. Absolutely no drinking. And no working for any reason," I said. He nodded.

"Do you wanna come in for a quick cup of coffee?" he asked.

"Sure," I said.

* * *

A quick cup of coffee turned out to be a whole pot. And then a second. I walked through the station to my office at about nine-forty-five.

"Hey, Chief," I turned around. O'Hara was standing there with a stack of files.

"Yes, O'Hara?" I asked. She shifted one of the files out and handed it to me.

"Some juvenile offenders seem to have gone missing. I think they may have run away, but its been twenty-four hours," she said. "Do you want me to run this by myself?"

"If you want, you can take McNab with you to interview the families. If you get any solid leads, I'll put Dobson and Miller on them," I said, turning to go into my office.

"Is Carlton okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, I took him home this morning," I replied, walking into my office. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a conference call in about ten minutes with the mayor about the budget."

I closed my doors. Juliet walked past with Buzz a few minutes later. It was a shame she was with Spencer.

I sat down at my desk, wishing I could talk to Carlton. It was stupid, but he made my day better in the two hours between the hospital and his apartment. And that very surprising good bye.

_"Thanks for the coffee, Carlton. I better go before I'm, oops, already late for work," I said, pausing at his door. "It's funny, this is the second time I can remember not wanting to go to work."_

_"This is the first time I've been happy about mandatory time off," he said, laughing. I smiled._

_"Well, 'bye. See you tomorrow," I said, still not moving. _

_"Tomorrow," he agreed, then leant down and kissed my cheek. "Thanks for the ride home." _

And even as I thought about that quick kiss on my cheek, my knees went all jello-y. What the hell was I gonna do? I couldn't have a crush on my head detective! That was wrong. Right?

I was having a hard time convincing myself.

The conference call yielded no new information, we were under budget, but not enough to hire any more police officers. I worked through lunch, fielding calls from the media about the missing juveniles case. O'Hara had collected a few leads; I sent out Dobson and Miller on one, and let her take McNab on the other. All he really needed to do was pass the exam.

At six, I packed up, and drove to my cousin's, who watched Iris in the afternoons.

"Momma!" Iris ran to me. I picked her up and kissed her head.

"Hey, baby! Did you have a good day?" I asked. She nodded emphatically.

"Okay, let me talk to Eileen, and we'll go home and talk about it," I said. She left to get her stuff.

"You two are what makes me want to have kids," Eileen said, coming from the kitchen.

"Yeah, well, you don't get paid to watch your own kids," I said, handing her the money I owed her for the week.

"You know I don't like taking your money," she said.

"I know that living in an apartment by yourself during college is expensive," I said. She shrugged.

"Am I picking her up tomorrow?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No, I have a meeting tomorrow, so I'll pick her up after, and she can play in my office," I said. Iris rounded the corner, backpack and stuffed rabbit in tow.

"Tell Eileen bye," I said, taking her hand.

"Bye, Eileen," she said, waving her rabbit around.

"Bye, you two," she said, and closed the door as we walked out.

* * *

"Do you want some more corn?" I asked, taking a sip of my wine.

"No, ma'am," she said, finishing her chicken nuggets.

"Okay, then take your plate to the sink and rinse it," I said. She jumped up and ran into the kitchen with her plate. Someone knocked on the door. "Be careful!" I called after Iris. I walked to the door, opening it to see Carlton.

"Carlton, is something wro-" I said, but nothing else really mattered. He leaned forward and kissed me, arms around my waist. My wine glass shattered on the floor. I cupped his face with my now empty hand.

"Momma, are you okay?" Iris called from the kitchen. I pulled away from Carlton, breathless.

"Yeah, baby, I'm fine," I answered, lowering my hand from his face. "Do you want to come in?"

"I should go, Karen. I just didn't want to wonder anymore," he said, kissing me again. I tried to hold on longer, but he pulled away sooner than I would have liked. "I'll see you tomorrow."

And he was gone. Iris brought me some paper towels, and I cleaned up the mess the wineglass had made. We had ice cream, she took a bath and went to bed. I sat on the living room couch, wineglass in hand. I gazed at the picture that a nurse had taken of Carlton and I minutes after Iris was born. Richard had always hated that picture, because I insisted on hanging it. But I never wanted to forget it.

Carlton might not be wondering anymore, but I sure as hell was.


	3. Chapter 3

**Balrgh argh. I'm laying in my best friend's extremely comfortable bed, trying to stay awake long enough to post this next chapter. And I'm hungry. Oh, well. Cheers.**

* * *

"Are you okay, Iris? You're looking a little pale," I said, stepping over to her. She was still in her pajamas and wasn't eating her Fruit Loops. Very strange.

"I'm fine, Momma," she said, pushing her cereal around some more. I pressed my lips to her forehead. Very warm.

"You have a fever, missy. Which means you have to come to work with me, and lay on my couch until I can get you to the doctor," I said. She groaned. "Yeah, yeah. Get dressed and pick some DVDs." She jumped down from the table and ran off up the stairs. I cleaned her bowl, and I noticed a small piece of glass on the counter. Last night…

It was undoubtedly the most asshat move ever. No doubt. His wondering might have been over, but he had just ignited the tip of mine. And, oh, was it already burning fast.

* * *

My meeting had been arranged into a phone call, taken as soon as I got in. Iris curled up on my couch with my laptop watching Finding Nemo. I signed off on some paperwork, along with a check to Psych. Which meant they would be in today. Fan-freaking-tastic. I glanced out of my doors.

Carlton. Sitting less than twenty feet away, yet so seemingly unreachable. I would have thought so, before yesterday. Then, obstructing my view, was Spencer. And not even the semi-pleasant one.

"Hello, Chief," he said, eyeing Iris in the corner, absolutely absorbed in her movie.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Mr. Spencer?" I asked, already digging his check back up. Iris closed the computer and sat it on the coffee table.

"Momma, I'm thirsty," she said, standing up. She waddled over to my desk, still cocooned in her blanket. I gathered her up in my arms and pulled her onto my lap.

"Let me handle this, and then we'll go get you a drink," I promised. I looked up at Shawn, who seemed mildly interested.

"This is Iris, then?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yes; now Mr. Spencer, are you here for your check, or to talk about my daughter?" I asked, holding out the check. He took it.

"Thank you, Chief," he said, folding it up to put in his pocket.

"Shawn," Guster came in behind Shawn. "Why did you zip tie my phone to the steering wheel? Who does that?"

"Mr. Guster," I said. He nodded at me and continued his rant.

"Oh, Gus, don't be the crumbs at the bottom of the Doritos bag. Chief brought her kid to work," he said, motioning to me.

"Oh, hello," he said, seeming to notice us. Spencer sat in one of the chairs so he was eye level with Iris.

"I'm Shawn and this is my partner, the young Lionel Ritchie," he said, holding his hand out to her. She didn't take it.

"No, my name is Gus," he said. "And it was very nice to meet you again, Iris. Shawn, if you don't pay that bill by one, they're going to turn off the cable." Spencer stood up. They turned to leave.

"Mr. Spencer," I called after him. He turned. "Please do not bother Detective Lassiter or O'Hara on your way out."

"But Lassie loves me, Chief," he whined. I gritted my teeth.

"His name is Carlton Lassiter. I expect you to call him one or the other. I don't think he finds your little term of endearment very endearing," I said, standing up. I put Iris on the floor and took the blanket off of her, throwing it on the couch. "Now, if you'll excuse me, my sick daughter is thirsty."

I walked out of my office, holding Iris' hand. We walked past Carlton's desk, which was empty. I stopped into the conference room where he and O'Hara had been working, but she was alone..

"O'Hara, could you do me a favor and watch Iris for a minute? I'm going to run and get her a drink," I said. She nodded.

"Yeah, Chief, I can watch her for a few minutes," she said. I bent down and kissed Iris' forehead.

"Good, your fever is almost gone. What do you want to drink?" I asked. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Apple juice," she decided.

"Okay, I'll be back in a minute," I said, turning to leave.

"You're pretty," I heard her say to Juliet.

"Thank you! You're very pretty, too, Iris," Juliet replied. I turned my head to see Iris clamber onto her lap. I smiled. I walked around to the vending machine and bought her a pack of Bugles and an apple juice. And then nearly ran into Carlton.

"I'm sorry, Chief," he said briskly, then started to walk away. Oh hell, no. I followed him back to the conference room. Iris was playing a game on O'Hara's iPhone, utterly absorbed. Until Carlton sat down.

"I know you!" she said excitedly. I smiled a little.

"Do you, now, Iris?" he asked, in a tone that I had only heard once before, when he held my baby the first time.

"Yep. You're Carlton. You were there when I was born," she said, matter of factly. "I've seen the picture." I felt the blush creep onto my face.

"The picture?" he asked. She nodded emphatically. Juliet smiled a little.

"Momma hanged it in the living room. Daddy didn't like it, but Momma said she did, 'cause it was right after I was born, right Momma?" She looked up at me. I nodded.

"That's right, baby. Why don't you stay here and eat your snack with Juliet? I need Carlton's help looking for some files," I asked. She nodded. Juliet nodded, too. I tugged his sleeve, pulling him toward the door. We walked down the hall and the steps in silence. I closed the file room door behind us.

"What files are you looking for, Chief?" He asked. I stared up into his eyes. I stood on my toes and kissed him. I ran my fingers through his hair. His arms were around my waist, pulling me to him tightly. I kissed him until I was nearly out of breath, and then pulled away.

"What the hell, Karen?" He asked. I smiled bitterly.

"I was just wondering, Detective," I said, kissing him again. I then pulled out of his arms and moved towards the door. "Oh, and I need the Emerson file, along with the Mark twins'." I walked up the stairs, turning to see his confused look. He shook his head and started going through the files.

I walked down the hall, and into the conference room.

"And that's how they put the juice inside the gushers," Shawn was sitting on the table, animatedly waving his hands. Iris was sitting quietly on Juliet's lap. "C'mon, kid! Everybody likes me!"

"Lassiter doesn't like you, your dad is irritated by you, Abigail hasn't spoken to you in a year, and the barista at Java Smoothie hates your guts," Guster said.

"Lassie doesn't count," Shawn said, leaning back on the table.

"I like Carlton," Iris spoke up. He stared at her. Juliet snickered.

"More than me?" he asked, feigning hurt.

"Yes," she nodded. She ate one of the Bugles off of her finger tips.

"That's just crazy talk! Chief, just how high a fever does she have?" Spencer spun around to me. I walked over and scooped my daughter out of O'Hara's lap.

"Oh, I don't think it's the fever, Mr. Spencer. Now, I know you're not here on a case, so please leave. It would be a shame to have McNab escort you out," I said, putting Iris on my hip. He grumbled and kissed Juliet's head before walking into the hall and out of the station. Guster nodded at us and said goodbye to Iris and followed him out.

"Thank you for watching her, Juliet. We'll get out of your hair," I said.

"Oh, it wasn't a problem, Chief," she said. I carried Iris into my office. I put her down on my couch.

"Okay, watch one more movie, and then we'll go get some lunch," I said. She nodded.

"Okay, Momma. Can Juliet come?" She asked. I nodded.

"Why don't you go ask her?" I said. Iris ran out into the bull pen and into the conference room.

The door swung open, and I assumed that Iris was already back. Instead, the blinds went down and the door shut back. I turned around into Carlton's arms.

His lips were against mine, and I was on my tip toes, trying to get closer to him. My fingers slid under the front of his shirt, grazing across his stomach. He tipped my chin back, deepening the kiss. I pulled back.

"Carlton, my daughter is going to walk through that door from asking Juliet to lunch any minute.

"Okay," he said, letting go. "How about dinner, then?"

"Detective, are you asking me on a date?" I asked, smiling. He didn't return it.

"Yes."


	4. Chapter 4

**Mwrah. I'm leaving tomorrow. I have to do family things, apparently. Anyway, here's a chapter. Not really for you, but for me. I don't know where this story is going, I'm just happy to be a part of it.**

* * *

**If I owned _Psych_, I would be writing some season fifteen, not fan fiction.**

* * *

I fiddled with the hem of my tee shirt, smoothing it down over my jeans for the hundredth time. It was irritating me. Or maybe I was irritating me. Carlton Lassiter was a freaking enigma. I could not stop analyzing every move he made that day, every time he kissed me, every breathhe took since the day I met him.

"Momma, are you gonna watch the _Little Mermaid _with us?" Iris asked. She was cuddled up to Eileen on the couch. I stepped away from the door frame and into the living room.

"No, baby. I'm gonna go out for a little while. Eileen's going to watch you until I get back," I said, perching on the arm of the couch.

"Where are you going?" she asked, sitting up.

"Just out, Iris. Don't worry, it's not work," I said, seeing the look on her face. She seemed mollified by that, and she snuggled back into her little nest. The movie was just starting when there was a knock on the door. I kissed Iris' head.

"I love you. Be good for Eileen," I said. She nodded.

"I love you, too, Momma," she said.

"Thank you, Eileen. I call you on my way home," I said. She waved me away.

"Yeah, go have fun," she said. I walked to the front door. I took a deep breath and opened the door.

Carlton stood there, looking amazing in his dark wash jeans and SBPD shirt. I stepped back a little.

"Hi," I said. He held a hand out to me. I took it.

"Hi," he said, leading me out of the house. I pulled the door shut. He walked me over to his Fusion and opened the door for me.

"So, chivalry isn't dead," I smiled at him. He gave me a half smile.

"Not with me," he said, shutting the door after I got in. He walked around and got in, starting the car.

* * *

"I didn't know you cooked," I said, sipping my wine. I leaned on his counter, looking around him as he worked over the stove.

"Well, after close to nine years of living be yourself, you pick up a few things," he said, scraping carrots off into a pot before putting the lid on it. He turned to face me.

"So," I said, putting my glass down. "What happened, Carlton?"

"What do you mean?" He asked. I sighed.

"With Marlowe. Don't try to play it down or change the subject. Tell me what happened," I said. I put my hand on his arm. "Please."

"I don't want to ruin whatever it is we have here, Karen," he said.

"You can't," I said simply. He sighed.

"Well, Marlowe and I had dinner yesterday. And she told me she is taking the plea bargain. Six to eighteen months," he said, reaching above me to open a cabinet and taking out two plates. He dished out the steamed vegetables. "And basically told me that she didn't want me to wait. I guess she was wanting me to tell her I would, anyway, but I didn't. She is a nice woman. Most people's ideal of perfect, other than the felon part. Pale, blonde, beautiful. But I realized she reminded me of someone who was also pale, blonde, beautiful, and perfect. And I started wondering. And remembering." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My breath was a little shallower as he put the grilled fish on the plates. He put the plates on the table, followed by the bottle of wine and cutlery. He turned back around to me.

"And who might that be?" I asked, surprised a voice even came out. His fingers swept my bangs back behind my ear.

"I think you know, Karen," he said. He leant down as I stood on my the balls of my feet, and his nose collided with my forehead. I dropped back flat on my feet laughing.

"Is your nose okay?" I asked, still giggling. He rubbed it, smiling.

"I'm fine. Is your head okay?" He asked back. I grinned.

"I'm fine, Carlton. I wouldn't be surprised if my hard head broke your nose, though," I said, standing on my toes again, this time kissing the tip of his nose. I pulled back and looked at his face. Then I closed my eyes and prayed neither of us missed.

Our lips connected, shooting off millions of stars. This is what I had been missing. My arms wound around his shoulders, clinging like this was a dream, and any moment I would wake up.

"Do you want some more wine?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yes, please," I said a little breathlessly. He led me over to the table and pulled my chair out for me. I sat down and he poured more wine. He sat down across from me, and we started eating, making small talk.

"So, do you have any plans for after dinner?" I asked. My God, he could cook.

"I thought we could maybe go for a walk, get some ice cream," he said. "Is that okay?" He looked a little iffy on that. I reached out and touched his hand.

"That's perfect, Carlton," I said. I left my hand on top of his as we finished eating. He took the empty plates to the sink, along with the wine glasses. I wandered into his living room. He joined me seconds later and helped me with my coat. I brushed my lips against his briefly. He took my hand and told me there was a park close by.

* * *

We were walking at a leisurely pace; it wasn't quite dark yet. Carlton pointed out the different flowers and named the ones he knew. He was surprisingly un-paranoid about holding my hand, but I kept his in a death grip, anyway.

"You keep surprising me," I said after a moment. He looked down at me and smiled.

"How so?" He asked, that adorable confused expression briefly crossing his face. I held our hands up.

"Normally you would be freaking out that someone might see us," I said.

"Normally, yes, I would. But nothing about the past few days has been normal, Karen. I normally wouldn't have kissed you. I normally wouldn't have asked you to dinner. But, honestly, I'm tired of my 'normal'," he said, bringing our combined hands to his lips. "Let's stop right here."

We were on the path, a small clearing in front of us. The sun was setting, casting gorgeous colors over everything. I turned to Carlton and pulled him down for a kiss. He pulled me against him, both of my hands flat on his chest. I pulled away and dropped back flat onto my feet.

"Still up for ice cream?" I asked. He nodded, and we walked in what we believed to be the direction of the ice cream cart.

* * *

"You are a messy ice cream eater," I laughed, wiping some ice cream off of his chin.

"I am," he agreed, and tried to steal some of mine as we walked.

"Oh, no, mister. You are the one that got vanilla; leave my chocolate alone," I said, moving my cone away from him. He gave me his little pouty look, and I gave in. We walked the loop of the park, finding ourselves back at the entrance.

"Do you want to go back to my apartment, or should I take you home?" Carlton asked, throwing his napkin into a trash can.

"My babysitter has an exam tomorrow morning," I said. "I should probably go home." He nodded, taking my hand as we walked the block back to his apartment complex.

"Hey, Eileen, I'm headed home. Is Iris asleep?" I asked into my phone.

"Yeah, she's out like a light. Or she has a promising career as an actor," she said. I smiled.

"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes. Bye," I said, hanging up. I turned to Carlton, who was focused on the road.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah. Do you maybe want to have some coffee?" I asked.

"You know that's a bad idea, Karen," he said, turning down my street. I grinned.

"I know," I said as he turned into my drive way. He turned off the car and slid out. He took my hand as I got out and walked me to the door.

"I had a nice time tonight," I said. He smiled.

"I did, too," he said, leaning down. I stood up a little, and our lips had just met when the porch light flipped off and on.

"Eileen," I groaned. Carlton chuckled. He pecked my lips. I wrapped my arms around him in an awkward hug, which he reciprocated. I kissed him again, the lights flickering again.

"It's like I'm the teenager," I said. He kissed my head.

"Good night, Karen," he said, letting me go.

"Good night, Carlton," I said, opening the door and stepping in. I stood at the glass door, watching until his car was down the road. Then I turned to Eileen.

"That's what it's like," she said, stepping away from the switch.

"You are twenty- four years old, going for your Ph. D. I would think you could forget something I did when you where sixteen," I said, kicking my shoes off.

"I didn't know I would ever have the chance to do it back to you. Anyway, how was it?" she asked. I took off my jacket.

"It was great. He made me dinner and we took a walk," I said.

"And?" she pushed. I smiled.

"And what?" I asked.

"You make me want to pull my hair out. Did he kiss you? Did you do 'it'? Do I have another baby cousin on the way?" she asked, following me into the living room, where Iris was asleep on the couch.

"No, Eileen. It was a date. Is that a date for you?" I asked, scooping my little girl up. Iris stirred briefly before she nuzzled into my neck.

"Hmph," Eileen made started to follow me up the stairs. I looked at her.

"Don't you have an exam tomorrow?" I asked. She shrugged.

"I didn't know when you would be home, so I brought a bag. I don't like walking up to my apartment at night," she said. I nodded.

"You know where the guest room is," I said softly. I took Iris into her room and tucked her into bed. When I walked past the guest room, Eileen was flat on her stomach and snoring. I quietly pulled the door shut.

I stripped off my clothes, pulling a huge shirt out of my drawer. No sooner then I had it on and was in bed, Iris padded into the room, stuffed rabbit at her side. I sat up.

"Another nightmare, baby?" I asked, opening my arms to her. She slowly stepped over to my bed, looking at the floor apprehensively. She climbed up onto the bed and into my arms. I rocked her for a few minutes before laying down with her.

"Was it the squirrel one or the one where the floor eats you?" I asked. She didn't answer, just snuggled closer to me and clenched her rabbit tighter. I kissed her head. "Ah, both."

After a few minutes, she was asleep, and my mind was drifting to places of Carlton that were dangerous to explore, especially in my dreams.

But screw it, I had wondered long enough.


End file.
